Adirondack Peeks Summer 2023

Never Too Late Carson Sorrell, #14098

but David had other ideas. Since the heavy snow hadn't started yet, he suggested we hike Porter and Cascade next before things got too challenging. So, on Decem ber 5 we completed our fourth and fifth peaks; this was more than I ever expected to complete my first year. If I was ever going to be a 46er, I knew the time was now. 2021 would have to be a big year, and I still had a lot to learn about hiking in the high peaks. Much of that was teachable knowledge about gear, food, and clothing. But the most important learning was the hands-on experience of climbing the mountains. Every mountain is unique and hiking the same peak twice can be completely different each time. What doesn't change is the feeling of accomplishment when reach ing the top. David and I became closer friends as the year progressed. By the end of 2021, I would have thirty four high peaks under my belt. I completed twenty-nine peaks in 2021 in just sixteen hikes. Dave led me up thir teen peaks on seven fantastic hikes and became my mentor. Mark's work responsibilities kept him off the mountains for most of the year; however, together we were able to get in six peaks over two hikes. I also com pleted seven solo hikes, the most memorable being Al len. Despite some wayfinding issues, I finished that trek in eleven hours without the need for a headlamp. Two of the hikes in 2021 were done in the win ter season: Big Slide and Seymour. I learned that win ter hiking has its own special appeal. The snow makes for fantastic photos while raising you above the rocky trails. There are some downsides, but at least the black bears are hibernating. The end was in sight in 2022 with only twelve more to go. Except for Allen, they were all the long ones. Not the best planning on my part. David and I ticked off six more that winter. Donaldson, Emmons, Seward, Whiteface, Esther, and Marcy. The hike up Marcy on February 24 was particu larly gorgeous: a day with light winds and beautiful blue skies that were perfect for pictures with a rare lunch at the top in relative comfort. However, there were a couple incidents on the way up that led us to believe we might not summit, like when we each took a turn getting baptized in the cold Adirondack waters.

Everyone’s path to becoming a 46er is different, but few begin their journey in their 70s. I have always enjoyed an active lifestyle, so when I retired in 2015, I wanted to stay active. I did some hiking in the Adirondacks back in the nineties with my son when we climbed Marcy and Algonquin, but my recollection of the details are spotty. Then at a Christmas gathering in 2019 I had a conversation with a close friend, Mark Pawlick, about his brother, David (#12803), who recently finished the 46 high peaks with his wife Judy (#12804). We dis cussed their accomplishments with envy and agreed it was something we would love to do. We both were looking forward to more free time although neither of us had any real hiking experience. So, it must have been the Christmas cheer that got us excited and plant ed the seed. We talked off and on over the following months. Then in 2020 David led us up Blue Mountain. Although it’s not a high peak, it was enough to open our eyes to what lay ahead if we really wanted to pursue the 46 high peaks. On November 12, 2020, a month after turning 71, we climbed our first high peak, the twelfth-highest of the 46, Giant Mountain. It took us 5 hours and 45 minutes to complete the six-mile round trip hike, and we were so beat we didn’t even consider including Rocky Peak Ridge. My big takeaway that day was to add hand warmers and extra mittens to my gear list. David turned out to be the catalyst we needed and encouraged us to tackle Street and Nye next. Judy joined us for this hike, and, considering it was Novem ber, we shouldn’t have been surprised to see snow and ice on the trail, which made the river crossing extra challenging. This was my first time ever hiking with mi crospikes and it took us nearly 7 hours to complete the 9.5-mile hike. Although it was cloudy and we didn’t get any great views, that didn’t dampen my enthusiasm. I was content finishing three peaks for the year,

Judy #12804, Dave #12803, and Mark Pawlick

Carson Sorrell #14098 scaling Marcy

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